[gws]

Hey guys,

I brewed a Belgian Farmhouse ale and am fermenting with WLP670 -- a blend of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces bruxellensis. After a week of fermentation I snuck a sample out with the wine thief to check the gravity, which to my surprise had plummeted from an OG of 1.065 to 1.008. The sample tasted great, like an immature Belgian with a hint of sour and was already more carbonated than I expected (airlock stopped bubbling after two days but has maintained positive pressure).

My question is, do you guys think I should just leave it in the primary fermenter, or rack it to a secondary? I know that brett can take months to do its thing. I was thinking about racking to a corny and letting it sit for a few months (my basement is a constant 74-76F). My concern with leaving it in the primary is Saccharomyces autolysis. That, and it's in a food grade bucket, which I know should be fine, but the thought of leaving it in plastic for months disturbs me.

Off topic: opinions on a few oak chips for this beer? I hear Brett likes wood.

Thanks!

[ynotbrusum]

Mixed fermentation’s take a while.  The Saccraced through the easy fermentables and Brett will come on much later -I would give it a month at a minimum and as much as six months.  The Brett will eat the sacc even.  But can you rack to a keg now?  Sure, but you may get a pellicle film in the keg that might affect the looks of the draft beer, slightly, whereas waiting allows you to rack from below the pellicle - free of agitation from carbonation as would occur in the keg. 

As to wood chips - a light touch of French oak would be worth considering. 

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

[gws]

Mixed fermentation’s take a while.  The Saccraced through the easy fermentables and Brett will come on much later -I would give it a month at a minimum and as much as six months.  The Brett will eat the sacc even.  But can you rack to a keg now?  Sure, but you may get a pellicle film in the keg that might affect the looks of the draft beer, slightly, whereas waiting allows you to rack from below the pellicle - free of agitation from carbonation as would occur in the keg. 

As to wood chips - a light touch of French oak would be worth considering. 

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the welcome!

So would you leave it in the primary for the entire several months? I have a glass carboy it could go to now.

[ynotbrusum]

With the chips and Brett addition, you could rack onto both and go with the secondary.  No problems there.  But you can add both to primary withou much risk of autolysis IMHO.  Brett seems to reduce oxidation issues with the pellicle, as well, when racking.

[James K]

I would rack into the glass and then pitch the Brett because if you pitch the Brett into the plastic bucket, it is likely to remain in there forever. Any tiny scrapes and scratches the Brett will hide in, whereas with glass it would be easier to safely clean it out. With 1.008 fg it will take a few months for the Brett to develop character. But you will be able to see the pellicle much easier in glass, obv.

You won’t have to worry about autolysis either way, but you can also use your bucket again and in short turn around without th risk of Brett hiding.

If I had Brett b and wood chips, I would use both, because Brett b to me, gives a nice woody funk anyways, so the brett might stand out more after chewing on wood and those really long sugars. I’d also sanitize my wood chips, but that’s just me.